Family: Columbidae
Pigeons and Doves
Pigeons and Doves are all part of the same family, and significantly, all share a similar appearance. In this guide, we cover all of the five UK resident species to help you confidently identify each.
Turtle Doves
Starting with the most colorful and highly patterned, the Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a summer visitor to the UK, arriving in April from West Africa, and returning in August.
They have a tortoise-shell pattern on their wing feathers on the colors of chestnut and black. Their tail feathers are black with a distinctive white edge to them. Their chest and head feathers are a combination of pink and grey blue. If you see them in flight, look for the distinctive black tail band with a bright white outer band.
They are shy birds by nature, tending to avoid human-inhabited areas in favor of farmland, hedges, and thickets.
As well as being the most colorful in our lineup, these birds are also sadly one of the rarest, as numbers have plummeted by 99% since the 1960s, and are therefore virtually extinct as a breeding bird. Their gentle cooing song used to be a sound synonymous with the sound of the British summer.
Turtle Dove Call:
Pere Josa xeno-canto.org
Collared Doves
The Collared Dove (Streptopelia Decaocto) is a non-native resident of the British Isles. They arrived in the 1950s as their breeding range increased from the Middle East. They have now become a familiar sight across the UK.
Collared Doves are pale-colored birds with hints of grey, brown, and pink. Their most distinguishing identifying feature is the single black neck band, unlike the Turtle Dove which has multiple neck bands. Also look for the eye coloring, which is a deep red. If you see them in flight, look out for the underside of the tail which is pale in color versus its body feathers, the tail feathers end in a white or grey band.
Collared Doves can be found across a range of lowland habitats, though unlike the Turtle Dove favors human-inhabited environments. They tend to call frequently, and is a gentle cooing sound.
Collared Dove Call:
Richard E. Webster xeno-canto.org
Rock Doves
The Rock Dove (Columba livia) is the ancestor of the Domestic/Feral Pigeon. Pure Rock Doves are extremely rare, as interbreeding has impacted most colonies of birds. They are now only really found on the North & North-West coast of Scotland & Ireland, where they nest on cliffs.
Rock Doves share the familiar blue-grey coloring, green neck-band, and purple chest coloring as Feral Pigeons, but look out for the dark grey and white wing patterning which is unique to the Rock Dove. Albeit some Feral Pigeons can display signs of this. It is, therefore, better to consider a colony of Rock Doves, their geographic location, and their overall purity as opposed to trying to pick out individual birds. If you see them in flight, then look out for their white rumps which is another key distinguishing feature, albeit this feature is shared with the Feral Pigeon.
Rock Dove Call:
Sonothèque ADVL xeno-canto.org
Stock Doves
Stock Doves (Columba oenas) have very similar markings to the Rock Dove and the Feral Pigeon, they are largely blue-grey with the familiar green neck band and pink chest. Therefore care is needed to positively identify them. Distinguishing features are their black eyes as opposed to the orange eyes of Rock Doves and Feral Pigeons. Also look out for black edges to their wing feathers, which their cousins lack. When seen in flight, Stock Doves lack the pale rump of their cousins.
Stock Doves can be found across most of the British Isles except Northern Scotland and Ireland. They favor wooded farmland habitats.
Image Credit | Helen
Stock Doves have an insistent call.
Stock Dove Call:
Arjun Dutta xeno-canto.org
Wood Pigeons
The Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) is the largest bird in our lineup of pigeons and doves. They share the familiar blue-grey coloring with the green neckband and pink chest. Unlike their Cousins, the Woodpigeon has a white patch on its neck. Other distinctive features to look out for are the yellow eyes and a red and yellow bill. If you see them in flight, look out for visible white wing patches. Also, listen out for their distinctive clattering wing flaps.
They can be found across a range of habitats, though preferring woodland areas. They tend to be quite shy birds. Listen out for their gentle cooing call.
Woodpigeon Call:
David Darrell-Lambert xeno-canto.org
